Lost and Found
by sUGarpOp16
Summary: Can fate bring two unwilling people together?
1. Where We Begin

Serendipity  
  
Chapter One: Love at First Sight  
  
It was the beginning of the holidays and Hermione Granger and her family, consisting of her mother and father, were spending the winter weeks in Chicago. It was beautiful weather and 11-year-old Hermione Granger could not get enough of the snow outside. She loved it for all its beauty and happiness it brought. Although the frozen snow was cold and damp, she couldn't help but feel warm whenever it was around. She had always felt this way, it was deep into the winter months that she could always be found with a smile on her face, happy and safe wherever she was. It was her first week visiting Chicago and she would be spending three more weeks here before returning to London. But she had no complaints about the long vacation because she enjoyed it so much. The dark snow filled nights, sipping hot cups of cocoa; sitting out on the balcony of their hotel room; the Christmas lights and sounds, it was just magnificent. She especially liked walking around bundled up in coats and scarves, looking like a walking laundry pile, shopping for presents. But most of all, she loved the snow. She laughed at all the people rushing and hurrying trying to make deadlines and appointments at this time of year, she felt bad and confused about the busy people with lots to do, too much to do as a matter of fact. She never really understood how someone could be so busy as to abstain from simply stopping and enjoying the moment for what it was. [I] There was always time for that, [/I] she thought. As her mother held her hand and whisked her through the streets, a cute happy grin played across her small fair face. Her brilliant smile shone bright amidst the monotone black of the crowd's jackets and sweaters. Everywhere she looked, black this and black that. [I] Where is all the color? [/I] her mind began to ask. She again smiled as she saw the stores up ahead. [I] There it is, [/I] her smile brightened even more as she saw the shop windows filled with color, everywhere color. Hues of bright oranges, and reds, and yellows, dark blues, and greens, and some black, but it was obviously a popular shade. [I] It makes the boring people happy [/I] she thought, [I] and I guess they count too. [/I] She laughed quietly to herself. "Mother are we going shopping again?" little Hermione asked her mother, who was still holding her fragile hand. They had been walking through the crowded streets for some time now and, although she loved the sites, her tiny feet were beginning to hurt. "No baby girl, were meeting your daddy for dinner." Her mother told her looking down at her, smiling. Her mother was beautiful, as was she. With classic brown eyes, and long brown hair to match, though her mother's was shiny and straight compared to Hermione's coarse and crimped locks. She was equally thin, but nothing repulsive, almost.perfect. As they turned a corner, Hermione spotted the most beautiful and strikingly gorgeous, and rather large, Christmas tree she had ever seen. It was bedecked with huge ornaments and cascading lights of white. It was the most breath taking sight she had ever seen. "Mother!" she shouted, yanking at the older women's hand, "Mother look!" she shouted louder. Her mother immediately noticed her daughter's enthusiasm and looked for the source of it. "Mother do you see it? The tree, do you see it?" she writhed with excitement, trying to drag her mother towards it. "Yes darling I see it, it's fine-looking." Her mother said, her full attention not completely set on the tree. Obviously her mother did not know just how "fine-looking" it really was. "Mother it's more than fine, it's stunning." Little Hermione could not contain her thrill. "Oh mother, could we go see it? Please?" she pleaded with her mother. Nevertheless, Hermione knew it was no use, when her mother was due to be somewhere, well that is where she would be, which was one of the things that differed her from her parents. Hermione knew that being on time was an important trait to have, but she just did not get why some people let it rule their entire life. "Sorry baby girl but we must go meet your daddy, he might worry if were late. We'll come back after dinner and see it then. I promise." Concluded her mother with a smile. But Hermione knew they would not return, at least not tonight, her mother hardly ever kept her promises. So, disappointed, Hermione sighed and continued walking with her mother. As they turned the corner and the tree drew out of sight they made a sharp left turn, smiling again but still slightly saddened, Hermione entered a large fancy building made it seemed, entirely of marble. She looked around at all the beautiful artwork and sculptures and smiled brighter. Of course, the paintings were all of boring dead people and flowers but it was the only artwork she had seen all day. And she was grateful that now she had two things she could tell her friends back home; for Hermione liked to keep her friends updated on the great time she was having, therefore she sent them a post card everyday. She was worried that she would have had nothing to tell them for this day, but she was wrong. They slipped into a deserted elevator that was made of glass, so they were able to see all around them. Hermione clung to her mother's side, even though she was not frightened of heights. Why just yesterday they were in the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world, however many stories high it was she could not remember. And while her mother hid where she felt she was safe from the view, Hermione took her chances and went straight for the glass windows. With her nose pressed against the glass and breath creating fog on the newly cleaned window, she looked all around, taking in as much as she could. It was an amazing sight, to see all the thousands of people as tiny as ants. Feeling as if she was at the top of world, along with the twenty other people in the room with her. However, her mother escorted her away because she had felt sick, despite the fact that she had not once looked out any of the windows onto the streets far below. "Look, baby girl, there's daddy." Her mother said and Hermione, now released from her mother's hand ran into her father's arms. "DADDY!" she shouted, happy to see her father. "Hey baby girl! Good to see you! How was your day?" he asked as she sat in his lap, her arms lovingly wrapped around his neck. "Boring! But mother said after dinner we can go see the big tree!" she said her eyes the brightest they had been all day. "You mean that one?" he said, his finger pointing to the window that was next to their table. Her mother's face turned pale as she saw the large drop outside the window. Hermione on the other hand, flew to it and saw the tree standing right below them across the street. "Daddy! Isn't it beautiful?" she gasped staring at it. "Yes it is." He agreed. Hermione spent the entire meal gazing out the window as she watched every single ornament glitter in the setting sun. It was now dark and the reflection of the lights wrapped around the tree gave it an ominous glow. Her mother continued to cast nervous glances when Hermione would lean too close. Once she had pulled Hermione back down in her seat, although there was no danger of falling. Once dinner had been paid for and everyone was stuffed, everyone stood up to leave. Hermione had on her jacket, scarf, gloves, and now her beanie. "Thank you mother." She said smiling, only her eyes nose and lips showing. "Your welcome baby girl." Her mother said as she smiled and bent down to kiss her on the nose, which would soon be red. "Now we get to go see the tree! Right?" she asked in anticipation, her little eyes sparkling. "Hunny, mum's too tired to-." "Which is why daddy's going to take you and let mum," he gave his wife a stifling glare, "go back to the hotel and rest." He smiled at his daughter as she gave a happy shriek. His wife on the other hand was not happy but she gave a fake smile and reached her hand out. "Money.for the cab. I'm not getting mugged walking through the streets this late." She said an annoyed tone in her voice. "Of course, dear, here you are." Hermione's father handed her mother a bill and they separated. Once her and her father were outside, Hermione wanted to run, not walk, to the tree; as if it might be gone if they took too long. However, her father freed all fears by telling her, "Hermione, the tree isn't going anywhere, we don't have to run." As soon as they arrived, Hermione felt a warm tingle up her spine. She had never seen a tree so tall before! Her face broke into a smile, almost as big as the tree, and she raced to the base of it, her father close behind. Once she got there, she stared straight up, and although it hurt her neck, she felt it would be the best view. She saw round ornaments made of gold silk, and some made of rubies and emeralds. Some were figures of soldiers with funny jaws that moved up and down, and some were glittering snowflakes that sparkled every color of the rainbow. The lights made everything shine and sparkle twice as much as normal. "Daddy," she began to ask, "can we get one of these trees next year?" she said, now looking into her father's face. He chuckled and bent down to her height. "Hunny, this tree wouldn't fit in our house." He had his hands on her shoulders as he told her this, and he drew her into a soft hug as her face began to frown. "But I promise we'll get one as big as we can, okay?" as he picked her up in his arms she smiled again. In contrast to her mother, her father always kept his promises. "Okay, daddy." She said and gave him another hug, and then he put her back down. "Okay, baby girl, time to go." He said, reaching for her hand. "Oh, daddy, can we stay a little bit longer, please?" she asked him. He smiled and said, "Sure, but only a minute hunny, we don't want to get home and to bed too late." She smiled and walked a few feet away from him to look at the tree. There were fewer people left so she could stay farther away from her father than normal. Usually he kept her right next to him, holding her hand. She liked to be on her own, even at her young age she was very independent. She walked around the tree a couple of times amazed by the colors and textures of it all. However, when she looked down, she saw something, or someone, that caught her attention. It was a boy, who looked to be the same age as her. He had light brown hair and pale colored eyes. His mother was holding his hand as he stood below the great tree. He looked down at the same time that she had, and their eyes met the others at that same moment. He smiled and so did she. His green jacket that he wore had a snake sewn on it, [I] He must like snakes, [/I] she thought. Suddenly her father was next to her and he reached down for her hand. She took it without thinking, her eyes still connected with the boys. She was only distracted when her father began to walk away. "Daddy, do we have to leave?" she asked. "Yes hunny, it's already past your bedtime." He noted. She [I] had [/I] been feeling a little tired, but upon seeing the boy, her heart began to race. For some reason she felt more at home looking into his eyes than she had ever felt at any point during winter, even when it snowed. She turned back towards the tree behind her and saw the boy, leaving also. He looked at her and waved, she waved back. [I] Goodbye, [/I] she thought to herself. 


	2. Remembering

Chapter Two: Looking For Love  
  
Five years later to that day, Hermione could be found under the exact same tree. It still touched her the way it had when she was young, but now that she was older, she understood more what those feelings meant. Especially when she had looked into the boys eyes. She hadn't ever met a guy that made her feel that way after that, she never felt so at home in anyone's eyes after his. But she didn't even know who he was, and she needed to know. It was killing her to know. So, for five years she had been going back to this same spot, on the same day, hoping on a prayer that he would come back too, but he never had, and now that it had been the fifth year in a row that he hadn't, she thought he never would. She wouldn't even know what he would look like. But she knew that once she looked into his eyes she would feel it again, and that was all she needed to know. She knew that the moment he had looked at her, she had fallen in love. It was at a young age but she had dwelled on those feelings for five years now and she knew just how truly in love she had been. And when she had waved good-bye, she didn't understand how much that had hurt her, until now.  
  
Hermione stood under the towering Christmas tree, searching for a pair of eyes, when her cell phone rang. She reached into her purse and pulled out a multi-colored phone that lit up also in different colors. The tune was a Christmas song that she had heard and loved.  
  
"Hello?" she answered.  
  
"Hey baby girl where are you?" asked her dad on the other line.  
  
"Dad, I'm 16 years old, you can stop calling me that." She told him, slightly annoyed.  
  
"Yes I know, but where are you?" he questioned her again.  
  
"I'm standing under the tree, where are you?" she asked him in return.  
  
"Right here." She heard a voice say through the phone but it sounded as if it was  
  
"Right next to you!" her dad jumped in front of her screaming.  
  
She ended the call and jumped into her dad's arms as if she was a little girl again.  
  
"Dad!" she shouted giving him a big hug.  
  
"Hey sweetie, I haven't seen you in weeks!" he said while hugging her.  
  
"I know!" she shouted, "Let's eat!"  
  
He laughed and said, "Okay, where to?"  
  
She flung around to face him with a shocked look on her face.  
  
"Do you need to ask?" she said in a drawl.  
  
"Oh, well, I'm sorry. Of course I don't need to ask!" he said  
  
And they looked at each other strangely for a moment and then shouted, "Pizza!"  
  
So Hermione and her father went to Giordano's, a pizza place well known to Chicago, like they did every year they were there together, which was every year.  
  
So Hermione, disappointed as she had been all the years before, sulked her way into the restaurant and ate pizza with her father. 


	3. A Clue

Chapter Three: A Clue  
  
Two days later, Hermione was packing for Hogwarts. Her trunk was nearly full and she was already running late. She glared at the clock. 9:02 , it read. She threw the rest of her things haphazardly into the luggage, not folding them as she had been. She could hear her mother's footsteps as she came to urge Hermione downstairs for some breakfast. This must have been the tenth time she had been up here, and for the tenth time Hermione would say, "Mother, I'll be down soon!"  
  
"Hermion-." Her mother started as she came through the bedroom door.  
  
"Mother, I'll be down soon!" she shouted.  
  
"You have been saying that for the past hour! So I brought you some food instead." She said revealing a plate of pancakes and bacon.  
  
A smile cracked across Hermione's face and she reached for the plate.  
  
"Thanks," she said shyly, slowly bringing it back to herself and looking at it as if it was a cute animal.  
  
"Your welcome," her mother said giving her a strange look. As she closed the door after her mother, she set the food down on a nearby table and took a seat. She didn't begin eating it for quite some time, she just sat blankly, seemingly admiring the food.  
  
Pancakes and bacon. she thought. This was her favorite food to eat. Not because she liked it's taste but because she always ate it after a night of dreams. Dreams of the boy. And it had been a long time since she had dreamt of him, but last night she had, and it was slightly bizarre that her mother had brought her the exact food she had been thinking of. A half an hour later Hermione and her parents were backing out of the driveway prepared to send their daughter off for her sixth year of school.  
  
An hour later they were pulling into King's Cross. As her mum and dad kissed and hugged her good-bye she went off looking for Ron and Harry. Harry was staying with Ron the last few days of summer, so she knew they would be together. And sure enough, a few minutes later she found the two sprawled on the floor probably reenacting the moment when the barrier refused to let them pass.  
  
"What are you two fools doing?" she blurted out.  
  
"Nice to see you too Hermione." Said Ron, lifting himself from the floor.  
  
Ron's mother and sister were laughing close by at his antics and were now dashing over to say hello to Hermione.  
  
"Hello, dear! How are you?" screamed Mrs. Weasley grabbing Hermione into a tight hug. Moments later Hermione had enough air to answer.  
  
"I'm great, really great. And you?" she asked.  
  
"In fine dear, are you ready to start yet another school year?" she asked.  
  
"Yea I'm ready." She told her.  
  
"Alright well have fun dear, I have to get going or I'm going to miss my appointment." So Mrs. Weasley left the four to cross the barrier alone. As soon as they crossed Hermione asked,  
  
"Ron, what appointment is your mum going to?" she said.  
  
And Ron going from happy to serious extremely fast said, 'Mum's sick." In a low whisper.  
  
"Like a cold sick?" she asked.  
  
"No, like really sick." He said, looking more depressed by the second.  
  
"Oh my God what's wrong?" she said curiously.  
  
"Ginny can tell you on the train," Ron said, "I got to go." And he sulked off to follow Harry towards a crowd of boys. Hermione followed Ginny onto the train and into a smaller compartment where no one had boarded yet. Ginny had a heartbreaking look on her face and Hermione knew that by the end of this Ginny would be crying, and probably, so would Hermione.  
  
"Ginny, tell me." Urged Hermione.  
  
"Mum has." Ginny started but choked. After a moment or two she took in a deep breath and added, "cancer." A deafening silence filled the room. Hermione felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach and she almost couldn't breathe.  
  
"What?" she said, tears filling her eyes. She could see Ginny was already crying.  
  
"We found out yesterday, but mum and dad have known about it for a while." She said through her tears.  
  
"What is she doing about it?' logical Hermione asked, more and more tears welling up her eyes. She blinked and sent a few sliding down her face.  
  
"That's the worst part, she can't do anything."  
  
"Well, why not?" Hermione almost shouted.  
  
"Because!" Ginny said now fully on edge, "were not like you, or Harry, or most of the kids in the school Hermione! We don't have money coming out of our ears! Mum can't pay for the treatment because the money is so outrageous! She said she would so in debt for the rest of their lives that she wouldn't be able to even by us breakfast in the morning! She CAN'T do anything! She just going to sit there and die!" and now Ginny was in a full out panic attack. "Ginny, it's going to be okay. Your mum will be fine." Hermione told her, but she knew she was trying to convince herself rather than Ginny. While Ginny cried to herself next to Hermione, she thought, It didn't seem fair. How could Mrs. Weasley be sick? How could someone so sweet deserve this? wondered Hermione, and she cried too.  
  
Days later they found themselves in Herbology, Hermione knew Ron hadn't slept for days. He looked like he hadn't either, his eyes were red and puffy, and he dozed off in most of his classes. Why can he sleep during class and not at night? she started thinking.  
  
"His thoughts consume him." said a voice from nowhere. She could have sworn someone had whispered in her ear. She looked around but there was no one. She looked at Ron, a book stood open in front of him blocking his head from view. She knew he was sleeping behind it. What was he thinking? Ron hadn't talked in the last few days. He spent his time alone, somewhere amidst the school corridors, just walking and thinking she suspected. She didn't think that all this dwelling on his problems was good for him but she didn't feel right giving him advice. She had no idea what he was going through. To loose a parent, someone you love so much and have always been there for you. Who will be there for him now.Hermione had her own problems to worry about. The boy.she wanted to find him, find out who he was and find out if that day was as special to him as it was to her. But she had no idea where to go or what to do to find him. Some days she was dreadfully gloomy with the thought that she would never find him. And some days it felt as if he was right in front of her and all she had to do was look up and he would be there. Some times she found herself walking through the hallways trying to catch each boys attention and take a long look into their eyes, but nothing happened.  
  
"Harry, have you talked to Ron lately?" Hermione asked as her and Harry stood outside their History classroom. They hadn't seen Ron all morning, and it was nearly lunch.  
  
"No, he left his bed before I woke up. I haven't seen him anywhere." He said sounding dreadful.  
  
"This alone time that he is having, it's not good for him. Do you think we should talk to him?"  
  
And a moment later Harry said, "If we ever find him again." With a sorrowful look on his face. Finally, when lunch was almost through, Ron decided to grace everyone with his presence. As soon as his hungry hand reached for food Hermione was on him like flies on a wet hound dog.  
  
"Where have you been?" she asked him in a monotone voice  
  
"Sorry I co-." but before he could finish,  
  
"We had no idea what had happened to you! We didn't know what you were doing or if you were alive! Do you understand the constant worry that you put us through?" she said.  
  
"I know and I'm sor-." He started but yet again,  
  
"Sorry? Your SORRY?" she stated loudly, "Sorry doesn't cover your a s s Ron! Now where were you!?" she finished and gave him a bizarre look. Everyone at the table had now stopped eating and had their eyes directly on Ron awaiting his answer.  
  
Ron sighed, slightly angry that Hermione had made it such a big deal and now the whole table knew that he had gone missing for quite sometime.  
  
"We'll talk about it later." He told her.  
  
"No Ron, now!" she said loudly.  
  
"Later Hermione." Ron said threw gritted teeth.  
  
Hermione saw his anger start to rise and she didn't feel like getting him so mad as to provoke another Ron-is-lost episode.  
  
"Fine, fine." She said as professor McGonnagle dismissed then for classes. Minutes later they were sprinting down the hallways to their next class. At least Ron was sprinting trying to get away from talking to Hermione. She was just walking extremely fast behind waiting for his answer, while Harry watched from a distance behind them, not in any rush to hear where Ron had been, he knew he would know eventually, maybe before Hermione at this rate.  
  
"Ron! STOP!" she shouted finally as they approached the door to their classroom.  
  
"What, Hermione? WHAT!" he screamed back at her. His face had an intense annoyance written across it. You could only look at him for a mere second to know that he was furious. He rounded on her, towering over her like a building. She took a step back but not from fright.  
  
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? TELL ME!" she roared.  
  
"No, you're too obsessed with it, it's not that big of frickin' deal! Leave it alone!" and he walked, with Harry by his side, into the classroom filled with Slytherins.  
  
This class, Speaking of Magic, was a brand new class for those who wished to trade a harder course for something a little easier. They had all three signed up and so had the whole of Gryffindor house. Their house was the first site for he posting of this announced class and then it was Slytherin. By the time it had reached the other two houses, all the positions had been filled. So this class consisted mainly of Gryffindor's and Slytherins. They would all have to learn to speak in front of the entire classroom. They would write a paragraph essay and read it aloud. Most would think that this was an extremely heinous thing to get put together but as for these three, they had no problem speaking before a crowd. Later that night, Hermione sat in her room addicted to writing her paper that was assigned. She held down the parchment as her hand scribbled across it in rapid motion. The idea kept coming to her and she had to get them down before they left.  
  
.cold.lights..big tree. she smiled. She still felt special when she thought of the tree.  
  
.brown hair.baby blue eyes.snake on -." Her eyes widened as she thought.  
  
...a snake on his coat...  
  
"Oh my God." 


	4. Serendipity

Chapter Four: Serendipity  
  
Hermione sat, almost overwhelmed with confusion and anxiousness, for quite some time. She really didn't know how to react to this new information. She had searched for so long and so hard to find that it was all for nothing, the one she was looking for was right in front of her. Should she run out right now and hunt down every Slytherin in the entire castle. Or hadn't she just about look at all of them, at least passing them in the hallway gave her a look into their eyes, isn't that all she had needed to do to find the one? Then why hadn't she found him?  
  
She looked at her paper in front of her.  
  
I'll look again. she thought to herself. This time, I'll find him. The next day she did not have classes with Slytherins once. But that didn't stop her from glaring at all of them at meals. She kept her eyes on the Slytherin table and, at breakfast, had been through the first half of the Slytherin group, and she hadn't found him yet. She frown but knew that she still had another half to go. He could very well be the last person I look at, she reasoned.  
  
So then at lunch, she continued her search but only got through half of the second half of the Slytherins.  
  
"Hermione, what do you think your doing staring at the Slytherins? I hope you don't have a thing for one of them." Ron interjected.  
  
"What? Thing? NO!" she said.  
  
"Good, but why have you been.staring at them all day? Every minute of breakfast you had your eye on one of them." he asked her lightly.  
  
"I'm not staring. I guess my eye is wondering a little." As she stole a quick glance at Georgian Fyler, a 7th year, and got nothing. That afternoon the sun was shining and the air was chilly, and Hermione, Ron, and Harry could be found outside on the grounds, preparing for a test in Muggle Studies.  
  
"Ron, in what year did Fleming discover penicillin?" Hermione questioned Ron, trying and failing to keep his mind on work.  
  
"Last year?" he answered, his attention completely focused on something else, or, for that matter, someone else.  
  
His eyes were in the direction of a Hufflepuff girl with shiny blonde hair speaking to another Hufflepuff boy. Ron seemed to be greatly intrigued by their conversation. The girl shot a glance in their direction and smiled when she returned to her friend.  
  
"Ron." Hermione said sternly. He whipped around to look at her.  
  
"What?" he said seemingly caught off guard.  
  
"Do you like her?" she asked him. A bemused expression came across his face as he said, "Who? Her? I don't even know her. Why would I like someone who is flirting with someone else anyways?" he said, a slightly annoyed tone could be heard in his voice.  
  
"They don't look like their flirting Ron, just talking. She keeps looking over here anyways. You haven't noticed?" she told him and his face suddenly lit up, although he tried to hide it."  
  
"Really? You don't think she is flirting with him?" he asked her in worry.  
  
"No, go talk to her." She told him encouragingly.  
  
"Umm," he started, "no. Let's get back to studying." And he flipped his body to face Hermione. Although she could tell his mind was still on the girl. Harry had remained awfully quiet while Ron talked about the girl. Wasn't he interested in the first girl his best friend had ever started to like?  
  
That is strange. thought Hermione.  
  
But before she could dwell on it anymore, a group of Slytherins joined the crowd outside and strolled across the grounds, Malfoy was included in this group. She stared at them, maybe one will look this way. she hoped. And one did.Malfoy.  
  
His eyes met hers and for a moment she thought she felt something, but she brushed it off and continued to catch the eye of the following Slytherins, none of them gave her a feeling though. So she went back to her books.  
  
That night Hermione worked on her essay again until it was finished. She was happy that she could finally share her experience with someone, or a whole class of someone's, but she was beginning to worry what they would say when they heard her story.  
  
"Their going to think it was dumb." She told herself. She wondered if they would think of her as childish now that she was searching for someone she had met as a child and whom she thought would be the love of her life.  
  
"Its kind of corny now that I think about it."  
  
Hermione decided, just to be on the safe side, that she would write another essay, just as a precaution in case she backed out of reading her first essay. She wrote this one about having dinner with her dad in Chicago.  
  
When morning came she again surveyed all of the Slytherins she could at the table. And when it came time for their classes together, she looked at it as a treat, for once in her life. This way she could have much more time to look at all of them and she was sure to find him. But she would soon learn that she was in for a far better treat that day. Harry had remained awfully quiet while Ron talked about the girl. Wasn't he interested in the first girl his best friend had ever started to like?  
  
That is strange. thought Hermione.  
  
But before she could dwell on it anymore, a group of Slytherins joined the crowd outside and strolled across the grounds, Malfoy was included in this group. She stared at them, maybe one will look this way. she hoped. And one did.Malfoy.  
  
His eyes met hers and for a moment she thought she felt something, but she brushed it off and continued to catch the eye of the following Slytherins, none of them gave her a feeling though. So she went back to her books.  
  
That night Hermione worked on her essay again until it was finished. She was happy that she could finally share her experience with someone, or a whole class of someone's, but she was beginning to worry what they would say when they heard her story.  
  
"Their going to think it was dumb." She told herself. She wondered if they would think of her as childish now that she was searching for someone she had met as a child and whom she thought would be the love of her life.  
  
"Its kind of corny now that I think about it." Hermione decided, just to be on the safe side, that she would write another essay, just as a precaution in case she backed out of reading her first essay. She wrote this one about having dinner with her dad in Chicago.  
  
When morning came she again surveyed all of the Slytherins she could at the table. And when it came time for their classes together, she looked at it as a treat, for once in her life. This way she could have much more time to look at all of them and she was sure to find him. But she would soon learn that she was in for a far better treat that day. She took her seat as she stared into the eyes of many slytherins, sometimes getting nasty glares in return.  
  
If they only knew what I was looking for in them. she thought and this kept her spirits high and her eyes still searching.  
  
As she sat down she drew around in her seat and found that the person she disliked the most, especially when she was about to read something personal in front of the class, was sitting behind her.  
  
"Granger, why must you always stare at me?" Draco announced with a smirk to his friends around him.  
  
Hermione gave a quick "Ha!" and returned to face the class.  
  
"Good afternoon students." Said Professor Hiart.  
  
"Good afternoon Professor." Droned the class.  
  
"Alright, well did everyone write their essays I assigned?" he asked.  
  
"Yes Professor." Said the class again in unison.  
  
"Good, good, well I've already chosen three students to read for us today. They are Miss Pansy Parkinson, Mr. Gregory Harland, and Miss Hermione Granger."  
  
"Of course." She said.  
  
"Good luck Granger." Said an annoying little snicker from behind her.  
  
She raised her hand avidly. "Yes Miss Granger?" Professor Hiart asked her.  
  
"I would like to go first." She offered with a smile on her face, but it was quickly wiped away.  
  
"Well actually the reading will take place in the order that I announced them. So Miss Parkinson? Will you do the honors?" The Professor said. Leaving Hermione in great dislike for him.  
  
"Nice try Granger, trying to get over it as soon as possible? Well you just wait, you'll regret writing your little love paper." He said with a cold laugh.  
  
"What!" she said in shock. LOVE PAPER? HOW DOES HE KNOW?  
  
She stared down at her paper, how did he know??? And then she saw it.  
  
Searching For Love, by: Hermione Granger written across the head of her paper.  
  
Duh. she thought.  
  
"Okay," Pansy said in her high squeaky voice, she cleared her throat, "It all started in his room, our eyes were locked and our hearts were crying for each other. He made towards me and put a hand on my-."  
  
"Ok!!" screamed Professor Hiart, "That's.enough Miss Parkinson." He said his eyes bulging out of his head as he took his glasses off and cleaned them.  
  
"Next." He said. Gregory Harland's story was about a toy that he had when he was young. Everyone gave a small scene of claps when he was done.  
  
"Wonderful Mr. Harland, full credit. Next." He stated and Hermione's heart gave a twist and she panicked. She held both of her papers in a hand deciding which to read.  
  
Which one? They'll laugh at me if I tell them about the boy. Won't they? Malfoy will.he always laughs.no matter what.  
  
She stood up with an essay in her hands and smiled before starting. She could hear Malfoy chuckling behind her.  
  
"I remember running after my mother's hand swinging up ahead. I had let go of her to glare in a window full of color. I love color. It brings so much joy and happiness to life.  
  
I remember we were cold, winter in Chicago was usually this way. The snow was coming down light but it felt like a blizzard. It was so beautiful. Everyone buying gifts for children with love." She paused, still she could hear Malfoy laughing. Does he ever shut up? she thought.  
  
She continued.  
  
"I remember I saw it at the corner of my eye, it was so big and beautiful. As a child I was thrilled by it, and still today it seems beautiful. But then it was the biggest Christmas tree I had ever seen."  
  
Finally! she thought as she heard Malfoy's snickers die down when he cleared his throat and then it was silent. "I remember begging my mother to take me back so I could get a better look. But we had to meet dad for dinner first. And we did. It was good but all I could think about was the tree. All the lights were like magnet's and I couldn't resist the pull of it. Then after dinner, I finally got to see it again. But it came with an extra surprise.  
  
I remember leaving my father's hand and going closer to the tree. I was looking as far up to the top as I could, although my neck hurt, it was the best way to view it in my opinion. When my neck hurt too much I looked down, and there he was. His eyes were light like the snow and his hair was brown. Not too dark and not too light. He was perfect. We smiled at each other for a moment, it felt like forever though. I could have stayed forever. But as good things do they all must come to an end. Moments later I left, leaving him, but our hearts will stay together no matter where we both are." And she finished with a round of applause.  
  
"Very good Miss Granger, very good! Is this a true story?" he asked in a pleasant mood. Her dislike for him was growing less and less as the moment went on.  
  
"Yes Professor." She answered him.  
  
"So do you know who this person is?" he questioned her.  
  
"No sir." She said laughing.  
  
"Well I hope you find him." He said smiling, "And excellent story, full marks." She sat down smiling to herself. She then remembered Malfoy's remarks. 'Well you just wait, you'll regret reading your little love paper.'  
  
At this she turned around to glare at him and rub it in his face that she had done well with her 'little love paper.' But when she turned around in her chair ready to smirk back at him, she found he wasn't smirking. He was staring right at her, his face looked as pale as ever and his eyes were wider than normal. He looked like he was in shock.  
  
"You okay Malfoy? Stunned by my paper? I know." she said and she turned back around. After that class they had no more for the day. The bathrooms and part of hallways were being sprayed for sever fungus and due to this no one could make it to Arithmacy or divination classrooms, therefore all classes were cancelled.  
  
Ron had gone to put all their books and stuff away to make room for the rest of the day, but they had not seen him in over an hour.  
  
"Harry you don't think we lost him for another couple of days.I was so worried last time!" she said in anger.  
  
"No I'm sure he's fine." Harry reassured her.  
  
"But Harry, his mother is dying and he has gone missing before! Now we can't find him, I'm pretty sure he's gone missing now! It only makes logical sense." She said screaming now.  
  
"Hermione, he's fine, trust me! Your worrying over nothing." Harry stated to her a little louder than she was being.  
  
She silenced for a moment as they walked across the grounds. Harry sighed in relief.  
  
"But you don't think he's been hurt or is hurting himself do you?" she said again worrying for Ron. "Hermione, listen," he looked around then looked at her, "I can't tell you what's going on but you need to trust me when I say that Ron is fine. He's just.busy." He said with an air of carelessness.  
  
"You can't tell me what's going on?" she said. And suddenly she had tears in her eyes, "I knew it," she said, "you and Ron are becoming better friends. You can't tell me what's going on? Pretty soon your going to stop hanging out with me and then where will I be?" she said through tears.  
  
Harry came up and hugged her.  
  
"Hermione that would never happen, we would never stop being friends with you, EVER." He said in harsh tone.  
  
"Ron's just not ready to tell you yet, but he will Hermione. Don't worry." And at these words, she stopped.  
  
But what started was her curiosity.what could Ron be doing?  
  
Maybe he is making something for his mother. Maybe she should be doing that? She hadn't really done anything for Mrs. Weasley. But what could she do?  
  
I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would appreciate anything. I'll make her a card or something. Something to lift her spirits.  
  
Maybe he was visiting her! Maybe for those couple of days, Dumbledore had allowed Ron to come back home to be with him mother. But then wouldn't he have let all the boys go? Maybe they are going at a different time.  
  
Maybe he is a werewolf! She thought, the days Ron was away there had been a full moon. She laughed at herself. Why was she accusing one of her best friends to be a werewolf? It was crazy. She sat in bed wondering about Ron when suddenly a loud tapping noise came from her window. She got up, startled, and walked across to see what it was. A large brown bird, a school owl, was clawing and beginning to tear a note that it held in its beak. Before it could rip it in half she opened the window and took it. Causing the owl to hoot and fly away, its feather's ruffled.  
  
She looked at the letter, there was no name, and it was just a white paper that was sealed. She ripped it open and immediately looked at the bottom.no name there either. She began to read:  
  
Hermione,  
  
I don't really know how to say this but I enjoyed your story today in class. I wrote one almost exactly like it. Here's a little part of it:  
  
I remembered my father making me wear that stupid cloak that belonged to a school I hadn't even attended yet. With a snake on it that showed how sure he was that I would be put into Slytherin. The tree was so big that I couldn't see the top. But I could see her. With her long brown hair and beautiful matching eyes. I couldn't stop looking at her. She was amazing. I watched her from across the way until she looked back at me. It was love in an instant. She smiled and I thought I could fly. When I smiled back I knew I would remember that smile for the rest of my life. Even though she left my world a moment later, she will always be with me..  
  
Does that tell you anything? I can't believe I looked for so long and you were right here looking for me too.  
  
See you in class. 


	5. A Needle in a Haystack

Chapter Five: A Needle in a Haystack  
  
By the time Hermione was done reading the letter her hands were shaking and she had tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Now, after 5 years of searching she had found him, or more truthfully he had found her]/I]. What was the difference? They had found each other. That was all that mattered.  
  
"Wait." She said, I don't even know who this is. she paused and thought. Well I know he is a Slytherin in my Speaking of Magic class. she laughed.  
  
"Well, that makes it so much easier." And at this she laid down in bed and set the letter next to her. She pulled the cover's over her head, stared into the blackness, and smiled the brightest smile she could in the pitch black.  
  
As she drifted off into sleep, she dreamt of the boy again. She found herself under a tree in the cold, but it was awfully cold, colder than anything she had remembered. She looked around, nobody. Where was he? She looked around again. And, this time, she could see in the distance a figure walking towards her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and looked awfully familiar. But before she could see his face, she felt a small shove and she rolled over in her bed. She awoke to Ginny's face, with a small smile. Hermione cracked a smile too, it had been a long time since she had seen Ginny happy about anything, so she decided not to take it for granted. "What are you so happy about?" Hermione's just-woke-up-voice crackled.  
  
"Nothing in particular. Ron and his new 'friend' were out again last night." She whispered.  
  
Hermione sat up in bed and looked around at the clock on the wall. It was really early, and had Ginny just said "Ron and his new 'friend'" were out again last night? What does that mean? she thought.  
  
"What are you talking about Ginny?" asked Hermione.  
  
"He left around midnight, Harry saw him, and he just now is getting to bed." She said, a gleeful expression could be seen on her face.  
  
"Wait, Ron met someone at midnight?" Hermione asked confused.  
  
"Yea, he's done it a few times now, you didn't know?" she asked amicably.  
  
"Um, no. Does Harry know?"  
  
"Yea, I think Ron actually told him what was going on, but he won't tell me anything." She said.  
  
"Then that's what he was talking about." Hermione said to herself.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked anxiously.  
  
"Nothing." Hermione answered quickly. She couldn't believe Ron was sneaking away without tell her. She was right, Ron and Harry were becoming better friends.  
  
They sat in silence for a moment before Ginny asked, "Hermione, what's that?" she said pointing to the letter she had received last night. It was laying completely open at the end of her bed where Ginny sat.  
  
"Long story." Hermione stated hoping that this would through Ginny off the sent. But it failed. "We have loads of time." She said, and she was right.  
  
"Well," Hermione started, trying to prop herself up in bed, "ok, don't think I'm stupid or childish."  
  
"I won't, is this a love letter?" Ginny asked picking it up and beginning to read it. Hermione grabbed it out of her hands quickly.  
  
"Not yet. That's a recent development." She said smiling, fully awake now, Hermione was remembering everything that had happened last night.  
  
She told Ginny the long story and about an hour later they were both blushing and smiling. It felt good to have Ginny laughing, Hermione had been wondering whether or not she would ever laugh again, let alone smile.  
  
"So what are you going to do to find him?" Ginny asked.  
  
Hermione sighed. She hadn't thought about that. What was she going to do? When it was time to get ready for breakfast, Hermione felt extremely relieved. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days. But she was also discouraged. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days, which meant no chance of her being able to spot the boy. She thought that it was kind of not fair of him to know who she was, but she couldn't know him.  
  
She drug herself through all of her boring classes by thinking about him and when he would decide to tell her who he was. Or how he would, and where, what would he say? She hoped he would be handsome, and smart, not childish, and funny, and charming. Basically she hoped he would be perfect. Not an immature dork like most of the boys here. When classes were through, she followed awfully close to Harry. She had wanted to tell him that she knew about Ron and his late night meetings. She wanted him to tell Ron and finally know exactly what was going on. But she had never gotten he chance. Ron was always closest to Harry and never left his side. By the end of the night this was beginning to p.i.s.s. her off because she had never realized how much closer friends Harry and Ron were. This was further proof that they would soon leave her to be nobody's friend but her self's. After dinner Ginny came darting up to her from behind.  
  
"Hermione!" she whispered loudly trying to get her attention.  
  
Hermione whipped around wondering who was calling her. Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group.  
  
"He's going tonight!" she whispered, this time in lower tones.  
  
"Who? Ron?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, he's meeting his friend. Her name is Rosalind Howla, she's a Hufflepuff She quickly stated looking around to make sure no one was listening.  
  
"I've seen her!" shouted Hermione, "She and Ron were watching each other the day we were studying outside. He acted like he didn't even know her. Liar." She said in a menacing tone.  
  
"So yea, I've got to go bu-." But she was interrupted.  
  
"Let's follow him." Interjected Hermione.  
  
Ginny stepped back to her spot and looked at Hermione strangely.  
  
"Ok." Said Ginny, with an odd approval plastered across her face.  
  
"Tonight, we'll wait by our dormitory doors and when he leaves we'll go after him. And when he's caught in the act of..whatever, that'll teach him to hide something from me." Ginny and Hermione exchanged anxious glances and walked back to the Gryffindor common room together.  
  
As night approached the two girls became more and more eager about their scheme. They almost wanted to blow it off and just beat the information out of Ron. When it was around 11:oo both of the girls watched as Ron and Harry went upstairs, Ron pretending that he was tired and "going to hit the sack early". So soon after they were in their rooms, Ginny and Hermione left to go upstairs also. They each hid behind a column for almost an hour and a half. "Maybe he really is going to sleep, maybe they aren't meeting tonight." Ginny said in a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Let's just keep waiting." Hermione said as she positioned herself better on the cold stone floor. But just as she let herself slump down and get comfortable, a door creaked open across the common room, Ron's door. She straightened herself up so she could not be seen. It was quiet for a few moments and then they heard slight footsteps down the stairs, and what had to be the opening of the portrait door. Hermione slowly made her way around the column and looked avidly around the room to make sure Ron had gone.  
  
"It's clear." Hermione whispered. Both of them bolted as quietly as possible down the stairs and out the portrait whole. They didn't want to loose him and have waited for nothing. As soon as they had set foot outside the common room they stopped, listening for anything that would tell them where Ron had gone. And sure enough they heard his  
  
footsteps about halfway down the hall, and then they went, quieter than him. They followed him through corridor after corridor, finally they saw him move swiftly into a teacher's classroom up ahead. They waited, they were not sure if the girl would be there yet. They stood still for about five minutes and figured that she was already there. But when they made a move to scurry down the hallway they heard more footsteps. More than one persons, actually. They hid behind another corridor where they could see the people coming. A few moments later they saw two girls turn the corner shyly. One was the blonde Hufflepuff girl, they other, they did not know. She had brown hair and looked to be about the same age as the blonde.  
  
"We should of known they would be fashionably five minutes late." Said Ginny.  
  
When everyone had gone into the classroom and it looked safe, Hermione and Ginny made their way to the door.  
  
"Ready?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Wait, what are you going to do?" she asked urgently.  
  
"Just swing it open and walk in." she said.  
  
"What if there.busy?" asked Ginny and her face recoiled in disgust.  
  
"Their not." She said reassuring Ginny.  
  
Hermione pressed her ear to the door and nodded her head.  
  
Without counting to three to prepare her friend, Hermione flung open the door and walked straight in. Much to the horror of the other girls, Ron's face lit up with fright. But when he noticed who had interrupted them he stood up and walked towards her.  
  
"Hermione what are you doing here?" "I should ask you the same thing!" she said in a harsh whisper.  
  
"I-I am allowed to be here!" he retorted.  
  
"Technically none of you are allowed to be here." Said a cold voice from the door.  
  
They all whipped around to stare directly into the eyes of Professor Snape.  
  
"Follow me." He said in his low drawl and everyone did. The girls exchanged frightened looks and Ron just sighed and rolled his eyes. He met up with Hermione and said,  
  
"Look what you did!" in a low whisper.  
  
"I did? You're the one sneaking around behind everyone's back to meet up with your lovers!" she said.  
  
"QUIET!" cried Snape in his stifling manner.  
  
They were silent for a second and then Hermione asked,  
  
"What are you doing sneaking around with two girls in the middle of the night?"  
  
"They are my friends Hermione." He said.  
  
"Well I'm your friend too ya' know! And why couldn't you tell me that you were meeting with your girlfriends late at night?"  
  
"There not my girlfriend's." "SILENCE!" Snape's voice boomed through the empty hallway.  
  
The girls behind them were silenced in fear and Ginny was no where to be found. She must have seen Snape coming and crawled into a corner to hide.  
  
Soon they were at Snape's office.  
  
"Your Heads of House will be notified the second I set foot in my office. I suggest you do not waste your time sprinting to your common rooms. Wait there for your punishment." He looked down at Hermione, and with his low cruel voice he began to laugh.  
  
"I'm afraid to say Miss Granger," and he paused, "but three strikes," he bent down to look her directly in the face, "your out."  
  
Laughing at a low tone he walked into his office. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him with her towards their common room. He made it very difficult as he obviously wanted to say goodbye and sorry to his girlfriends before they parted.  
  
"What is your problem Hermione!" Ron shouted at her.  
  
"I have no problem! You do!" she said.  
  
"Oh yea, and what's that?"  
  
"You don't know who your real friends are!" she said through gasps for air as they bolted down the hallways and up a flight of stairs.  
  
"For your information, I know exactly who my real friends are! I was talking to Alexandra Sanders for Harry because he likes her and she is a friend of Jo's. I was doing him a favor." But he couldn't say anymore. He was so out of breath. And Hermione was not able to say anything anyways. She was already beginning to understand what was happening. "And is 'Jo' the blonde? The one you acted like you didn't even know the other day outside?"  
  
He took in a deep breath as they came upon the portrait.  
  
"Yes, that's her." He said as he bent down and held his knees trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Bubbles Banyu." Hermione said. And the portrait swung open.  
  
"Night jog my dears?" the fat lady remarked chuckling.  
  
Professor McGonnagle was waiting for them as they came panting into the Gryffindor common room.  
  
They looked at her with expressions of Oh-God-what-now? The next morning Hermione awoke late. It was around 12:30 and lunch had probably already started. She cringed as she remembered the events of last night, actually this morning. She had gotten detention for three weeks. It was reasonable, she could have been expelled. Look on the bright side she thought, I'll have a lot of "me" time.  
  
So as she got dressed and headed for the Great Hall she thought about her situation.  
  
I've got a best friend who is mad at me, one who will be upset with me, detention for three weeks, and I haven't a clue who he is.  
  
She stood before the door to the Great Hall and took in a deep breath. She opened them and walk in ready to face whatever was coming 


	6. Keep Your Enemies Closer

Chapter Six: Keep Your Enemies Closer.  
  
As she took a seat next to Ron and Harry, she held her breath incase one of them decided to give a surprising outburst. But neither of them did, neither of them even looked at her.  
  
"Hey guys," she started, "What's wro-." But Ron interrupted her.  
  
"Why were you there last night?" he didn't even look at her when he asked. He kept moving his pea's from one side of his plate to the other.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" she said back to him.  
  
"Hermione, why didn't you wait? I told you that when Ron was ready he wouldn't hesitate to tell you." The look on Harry's face wasn't only filled with slight anger and confusion, but she could see betrayal and hurt start to form in his eyes.  
  
She couldn't think of anything else to say here, and she knew that she was in the wrong now.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said and she put her fork down on her plate and crossed her arms.  
  
After a few moments Ron sighed and began to reach over for Hermione, pulling her into a tight hug.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." He said.  
  
"It's ok." She answered.  
  
They both looked at each other and smiled, then they both looked at Harry, who smiled also.  
  
"Just, Hermione, will you trust me next time?" asked Harry.  
  
She nodded. So did he.  
  
"So what is going on Ron?" "He likes Johanna Pulgarin, the blonde one. And they have been meeting every once in a while at nights to 'talk', according to him at least." Hermione told Ginny after dinner; which was the next time that she had seen her.  
  
"And what happened to you last night?" she asked Ginny with a puzzled expression on her face. Ginny blushed and laughed a little.  
  
"Oh I ran, there is no doubt that I heard a Professor coming and sprinted back to the Gryffindor common room before Snape had called Professor McGonnagle." She said, and she didn't look Hermione in the eyes.  
  
'It's okay Ginny, I forgive you for ditching us, and leaving us to get into trouble. I only got three weeks of detention for it, no biggy." She said in sarcasm, and she started to laugh. But Ginny was not.  
  
"I'm really sorry Hermione, I should have warned you." She said in all seriousness.  
  
"No Ginny it's really okay, don't worry about it." She told her.  
  
The little girl smiled and hugged Hermione and they both would have been heading off to bed, but Hermione had detention tonight; and every night for the next three weeks. She was going to get NO sleep, and NO homework done for almost a whole month. That would certainly kill her grades.  
  
Hermione walked to the Great Hall and met up with Ron and the two Hufflepuff girls, and Ron introduced them. "Hermione this is Johanna Pulgarin, or Jo for short. And this is Alexandra Sanders. Guys this is Hermione." Hermione smiled at them and asked, "So what year are you guys in?"  
  
They smiled and said gleefully, "Third!" and Hermione had to hold back a huge grin.  
  
"Cool." She said trying not to laugh.  
  
"Yea. We've heard all about you Hermione." Johanna said.  
  
"Oh really, what have you heard?" It was as if Hermione was screaming 'I dare you to say something wrong little girls, I dare you.' One false move and Hermione was ready to take them both down. She thought it was funny though, they were both on thin ice and didn't even seem to realize it. She had to laugh on the inside.  
  
"Just that you're really smart and brainy. And you always do your homework."  
  
Suddenly Hermione thought she heard something in a corridor to their right, she looked but it was so dark that she couldn't see a thing.  
  
"Who are we waiting for?" Hermione asked, resisting the urge to deck both of the girls.  
  
"I think Professor Dumbledore. Can't wait to see his face when we have to tell him what we were doing out late." Ron said, taking in a deep breath.  
  
"Yea, well, according to you, you weren't doing anything.naughty right?" Hermione said giving Ron a wink.  
  
"Okay look Hermione-." But a cold voice interrupted him before he could tell her. "Weasley and Granger," Said Draco Malfoy as he approached from the corridor Hermione had looked in earlier, "and hello ladies. What do I owe the sweet, sweet agony of having detention with you to? Shall I say a love escape with these two ladies Weasley?" he said slowly as he came to join the group. Ron's fists were clenched so tight that Hermione thought they would be bleeding when he let go.  
  
"Oh and aren't they third years? A little below your age aren't they?" he smirked happily to himself continuing though Ron was obviously showing signs of rage, "I understand though. You can't get girls your own year, so you figure 'Hey, I'll just pick up two third years! That equals six right?'." And before Draco could tell what was coming, a small fist hit him straight across the face and had direct contact with his nose, which when he stood back up, was bleeding.  
  
"That's another night of detention Miss Granger. No fighting on school grounds." Professor McGonnagle announced her arrival with a punishment. She walked her way down the stone stairs and stood before the group. "Now, you all have committed crimes punishable for some time in detention, some longer than others. Tonight you will be writing a thousand times on one foot of parchment 'I will never acquire detention again.' If there are NOT a thousand duplicate of that exact phrase, or if any words are misspelled, you will add another night of detention to your list. Am I clear?" Professor McGonnagle finished and the entire group was in shock.  
  
"Professor?" Hermione spoke.  
  
"Yes Miss Granger." Professor McGonnagle said mundanely.  
  
"We only get one foot of parchment? What if we run out of room? Or don't finish?" she said worried and not wanting to get herself more detention that she already needed.  
  
"I do believe I have already answer that question." The Professor told her sourly. Soon after Professor McGonnagle had them follow her into a nearby classroom and take a seat.  
  
"No one is to sit next to someone or across from someone," she walked towards the door leaving them to there selves, "if one word is uttered in this classroom," she started and looked between the third years and Hermione and Ron, "the speaker will surely regret their decision. You may not remove your body's from these seats until I return. Is that clear?" she asked them. And the entire group, who had never seen professor McGonnagle so harsh on anyone or anything replied in unison, "Yes ma'am. As she shut the door, Ron took his wand and made a motion of stabbing himself in the heart with it. The brown haired Alexandra began to giggle and all of a sudden from the air, masking tape began to wind its way around her mouth leaving two breathing holes for her nose when it was done. She looked around the room, petrified, at everyone's face. No one was laughing now. She grabbed a quill and her parchment and began to write, pretending that there wasn't a three inch thick mass of tape around her face.  
  
Everyone else who could talk, chose not to.  
  
They went to work on their assignments. Hermione found that it was going to be quite hard to fit "I will not acquire detention again" a thousand times on her paper. Therefore she tried her best to write as small as she could, making sure it was legible all the same.  
  
About an hour later, Professor McGonnagle came in. Hermione had almost written the sentence about 300 times. Hermione thought she was going to allow them to leave, that detention was over and she had failed to meet the requirement's. Now she was going to be forced to do more time. "Alright student's, "Hermione held her breath, "break time. You will have two minutes to do as you please, the bathrooms are next door. GO." Professor McGonnagle turned to face Alexandra, when she saw the girls face, she began to laugh.  
  
"Poor girl, you don't listen." And with a wave of her wand the tape was removed. The girl felt her face erratically to make sure nothing was missing. She sighed when everything was there. Then got up to leave for the restrooms.  
  
Hermione walked over to Ron's desk as Ron watched Jo leave to follow her friend.  
  
"Oh my God I'm going to go crazy in here!" Ron shouted.  
  
"Me too, especially with the burden of having to-."  
  
"Sit in the same room as Malfoy, I know." Ron interrupted.  
  
Hermione thought about it, she hadn't been bothered by Draco sitting in there with them, probably because he wasn't aloud to say a word. But now he could have. She looked over at him, he was staring at her and when she looked at him he gave her a cold sneer. She focused back on Ron.  
  
"I'll just be happy when I get out of here." He said. And Hermione thought.  
  
"I'll be happy if I get out of here alive." Three hours, two breaks, and 4200 words later, Professor McGonnagle came in to wish them a good night. It was almost midnight and all of them were extremely tired, some had even fallen asleep during detention. Until, at least, pieces of tape from nowhere kept their eyelids open, Ron could barely blink.  
  
Ron and Hermione walked back to their common room, after of course Ron had said goodbye to his friends, and they immediately said their goodnight's and went to sleep.  
  
All Hermione wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep, but she found another letter waiting for her.  
  
She diffidently couldn't wait until morning to open it so she removed the seal and read:  
  
Hermione,  
  
I missed you today.  
  
That was all it said, but it meant so much. She could hardly sleep waiting for class tomorrow. Even though a night of torment in detention would follow, it was almost as if, just the thought of him could help her get through it all.  
  
When Hermione woke in the morning she jumped out of bed enthusiastically. She took a shower, got dressed, and flew out the door to the common room below. Ron and Harry were waiting there. They all left for breakfast and Hermione began her routine of catching the eyes of as many Slytherin's as she could. When Hermione woke in the morning she jumped out of bed enthusiastically. She took a shower, got dressed, and flew out the door to the common room below. Ron and Harry were waiting there. They all left for breakfast and Hermione began her routine of catching the eyes of as many Slytherin's as she could.  
  
It felt as though classes could not go any slower even if time were to completely stop. She thought about the boy all day and was almost ready to burst when it came time for class to start. She walked in with Harry and Ron and watched for a pair of eyes to look at her, hoping to catch them before they looked away. But not one person looked up when they entered, at least not anyone that she saw. She took her regular seat next to Harry and Ron. Usually her motivation would have spirited her to search the classroom from her seat, but today, or was it just because no one had noticed her come in, she didn't have the heart. She looked straight ahead and waited for the professor to begin class.  
  
"Good morning class!" shouted a feisty Professor Hiart.  
  
"Good morning Professor." Replied the class in a bored almost dead manner.  
  
"Lively crowd today," observed the Professor, "yes well, today class we will be learning about 'Instructional Writing." Does anyone know what that is?" he said expecting more than no raised hands to raise.  
  
"No one? Well, you're all going to feel very foolish after I explain it."  
  
So for most of the class period they spent practicing 'instructional writing' or 'piece of cake writing' as Professor Hiart referred to it. And in addition to learning how to write instructions, Hermione had not learned, or even tried to learn who the boy was. Complete and utter waste of time, that's what today's class was.  
  
"Now children," started the Professor, "I'm going to assign a simple yet more than likely bothersome homework assignment."  
  
I could have looked into every Slytherin's eye here! But no.  
  
"It is to do with the lesson we learned today," he continued.  
  
-sigh- But I don't even know why I try anymore, I haven't come close to feeling an ounce of, well, anything looking into anyone's eyes! What's the point anymore?  
  
"Partners! And here's the list," as Professor Hiart screamed them out to the class one by one.  
  
Actually, I have felt something for someone.  
  
"Daniel Thomas and Martha Cordage."  
  
Malfoy.I thought I felt something for him, but I would never dwell on that. It was probably just hatred making my stomach turn.  
  
"Harry Potter and Justin Finch-fletchley."  
  
I do hate him an awful lot, more than any normal person could hate someone.  
  
"Neville Longbottom and Ronald Weasley."  
  
I mean I do hate him.right?  
  
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."  
  
Maybe I could- wait, WHAT! "What?!" shouted Hermione aloud snapping back to reality.  
  
"Pans- yes Miss Granger?" Professor Hiart answered.  
  
She laughed untruly and said, "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you, who is my partner, Sir?" she said looking as if she was preparing for a large blow to the face.  
  
Professor Hiart sighed and pointed to the one spot Hermione wished his finger would never direct towards, the bas tard sitting behind her.  
  
She flipped around and looked at Malfoy, his face was as confused and disappointed as hers. Owing to the fact that there was no way she could be partners with, him, she just had to do something about this. She knew she had detention for the next three weeks, and she would use that as an excuse. So after class, Hermione approached Professor Hiart's desk.  
  
"Professor?" Hermione started, "Hi, umm, so my partner Draco Malfoy. Well you said that we have to get together with them after classes is that correct?" she said hopefully.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger, and if your going to try to worm your way out of being his partner by scaring me off with your detention status, let me inform you that I am well aware of this, and of your partner's also. You both will attend tonight and prepare your mutual assignment.together." He said all this with a smile on his face, like it amused him to see her squirm with detestation and hatred, she didn't like this man one bit.  
  
"Right." She said immediately and before he could answer her she stepped away and stalked out of the classroom. Her next two classes were the worst of the day. She could not be in a more awful mood.  
  
Dinner was horrible, she wasn't hungry. She wouldn't allow herself to eat incase she felt the urge later to throw it up later all over somebody. She couldn't do that.  
  
The walk to detention was appalling, she felt as if she was a prisoner on death row taking her last and final walk to her death. The only thing that forced her to go was the thought of having more detention, possibly expulsion, put upon her for her refusal to attend.  
  
She walked the long hallways that lead to the door, the door of doom, she twisted the handle and heard it creak. It was the door laughing at her, wishing her a happy time.  
  
She leered around the door frame expecting to see a smart sneer looking her in the face, almost determined to make this the worst moment of her life. She saw the eyes, the cold steel, light blue eyes.the blonde hair, but no sneer, no smirk whatsoever. A smile was on this boy's face. His eyes crinkled into a smile, a smile? "What are you so happy about?" she said setting her cloak down on a nearby table.  
  
Draco stood up where he was and lifted a finger to his lips, "Shh, were not suppose to talk." He said in a very low whisper. He slid around the desk that he sat at, almost drifted towards her as if he was floating. He came so close to her, almost inches apart.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, a note of urgency in her voice. She had no idea what was going on. He was so close to her now, she could hear him breathing, if she were to put her hands where she wanted them she would have been able to hear his heart beat.  
  
He then put a finger to her lips, so soft and warm. He traced the outline of her lips with the tip of his finger. Her whole body began to shake, What was going on? she thought. Why does this feel good? she thought more worried. "Draco-." But his lips pressed against hers. As if this was normal, his hands found the back of her neck and softly caressed it. She couldn't contain it for some reason, she loved this, and she gripped his cloak hard and pulled him in tighter. He let go suddenly, "Hermione," he began and then he kissed her softly.  
  
"I want you to know," he said and he kissed her again, "you take my breath away."  
  
She kissed him softly and then he continued, "and it's been that way from the start, I never knew how to tell you," she felt his hands slide down her arm to her hand, "that I love you, " he lifted her hand to his chest and rested it there, "with every beat of my heart."  
  
"Hermione," she heard him whisper, but she had closed her eyes in terror. She had no idea what to do, "Hermione." She heard it again but now it felt so far away, "Hermione." Even farther this time, she tried to open her eyes and look into his, but they were gone.  
  
"Hermione!" she looked around. She was sitting in class before dinner, she had fallen asleep.  
  
She closed her eyes again, wishing, surprisingly, that she was still in her dream. Ron whispered her name once more and she fidgeted so he would understand to leave her be. To think, about him. Later that evening, after dinner, Hermione began her real walk to detention. Along the way she couldn't help but dwell on the dream she had had. She was almost scared to show up for this, she really didn't know what to do if that were to really happen.  
  
I mean, it's Draco for heaven sakes!  
  
"Malfoy." She said aloud, correcting her thoughts, "I meant Malfoy." Reassuring herself as she walked the last hallway before approaching the door to her fate. The door of doom she recalled.  
  
She twisted the handle, no creak. Thank you! she sighed with relief. It was all a dream, this wasn't really going to happen.  
  
She slipped through the door into the classroom at a swift pace, took a seat near a window and faced the front, waiting, silently for McGonnagle. After a few moments of absolute stillness with not even the sound of breathing, she looked to the side of her.  
  
No Draco - Malfoy! she rolled her eyes, she hoped that didn't become a habitShe looked to the other side, still no.Malfoy, she noted to herself. She sighed at the thought that he had not arrived yet, that would make the dream completely false! Which was something she needed to have proven to her right now. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder from behind her. Hermione turned swiftly around in her seat to come inches from Draco's face, his sleeping face. His head was resting lazily in his arms and she figured he had stretched without realizing where his hands ended up. He looked so sweet and innocent lying there that she found herself smiling at him. She was so distracted by him that she hadn't even noticed she had called him "Draco".  
  
A few seconds later Professor McGonnagle slid into the room unnoticed by Hermione, and diffidently unnoticed by Draco.  
  
"Miss Granger if you would kindly take a seat away from Mr. Malfoy." She stated in a loud voice. This sudden burst of noise stirred Draco and he lifted his head timidly off of the table. He peered around the room and upon seeing a Professor, especially a Professor that was teaching his detention, he sat up straight as a board and, wide-eyed, stared straight ahead.  
  
Hermione had to laugh at this, she had never seen anyone have that much power over him. It was like he was actually frightened of getting into trouble, which wasn't usually the case.  
  
Hermione had taken a seat across the room completely and sat quietly awaiting instructions.  
  
"Tonight, I was informed that the two of you were made partners in your Speaking of Magic class, is that correct?" she asked both of them.  
  
And both Draco and Hermione answered, "Yes.." as if it was the worst news in their lives.  
  
"Well don't be so happy about it." Smiled Professor McGonnagle sweetly. But her sweetness was taken back almost immediately, "Get to work." She said, and her face went from smile to frown in less than record time. Hermione looked over at Draco and started to stand up and make her way to him, but he had already begun walking to her. Which she found strange, him not making her get up and lug herself over there, he was actually doing something for somebody else, and it was her on top of it.  
  
"So what exactly do we have to do?" he asked her as he took a sit in the chair next to hers.  
  
"Umm," she said and she opened her book to the assigned page, "we have to ask each other questions on a chore or daily habit , and write the instructions in a paragraph." She said looking up from the book and into his face. He had the softest looking skin she had ever seen, she almost wanted to reach out and run her hand along his cheek when she remembered who she was thinking about and abolished all thoughts.  
  
"Okay," he said, "ask away." As he laid back in his chair, relaxed and prepared to answer.  
  
She rustled through some pages in the book and finally asked, "From when you wake up to when you leave for..breakfast, what is your routine?" she asked, reading straight from the book.  
  
He crinkled his nose in confusion but answered the question as best he could, "I take a shower, brush my teeth, do my hair, and get dressed." He said and looked at her for approval, but it didn't come.  
  
"That's the wrong way to answer the question, you need more detail." She told him in a strict tone. "What do you mean?" he asked looking even more confused than before.  
  
"Like, it says in the book that a decent answer to that question would be, 'I wake up, step out of bed, walk to the bathroom, turn on the shower, undress, step in, wash my hair, etcetera'" she paused looking at the book, it obviously struck her as disgusting that someone would want to know this much detail about another person's hygiene. But she looked at him expecting a better answer. But he just looked at her in utter confusion.  
  
"That's revolting," he told her after a few seconds, "I'm not telling you all of that. That's personal!" he said looking violated.  
  
"Why? It's human nature." She protested.  
  
"I am NOT going to tell anyone in detail, exactly what I do in shower!" he said raising his voice.  
  
"Why? It's perfectly normal whatever it is that you do that you're so scared to tell anyone!" she told him almost yelling.  
  
"No!" he said finally.  
  
"Alright, fine, we'll try another question." She searched the book for answers for a few minutes as Draco gazed into emptiness. She heard words like, "ridiculous" and "intrusion of privacy". She finally found a nice question that Draco would have no problem answering. "Alright Draco," she paused cursing herself for what she just said. She looked up at him to see if he had noticed her say his name, but he hadn't, so she continued on with her question, "How do you make spaghetti?"  
  
He looked at her strangely and then said, "I say 'Elf! I want some spaghetti, now!' and he looked off into the distance as if a house elf was standing there that he was shouting at. Then he looked at Hermione who was struck by his richness and dumbfounded by his knowledge, or lack thereof, of making a simple meal of noodles.  
  
"I cannot believe that you don't know how to make spaghetti." She said, slightly laughing.  
  
He looked a little offended and said, "I'm terribly sorry that if at my house we have other people to do the cooking for us."  
  
She looked at him with utter annoyance, "All that proves is that you're stuck up and haughty." She told him returning to her book searching for yet another question.  
  
He looked at her for a few seconds before saying something back, "Well obviously this question thing isn't working for me. Now I am going to ask you some questions." He said, with a sly look upon his face. She looked at him and smiled, "Go ahead Draco." She said and she kicked herself again for saying 'Draco'. She shot a glance at his eyes to, again, see if he had noticed. He had. He looked at her oddly for a second and then seemed as if he was going to say something about it, but stopped, and continued with the question.  
  
"Alright. From when you wake up in the morning, to when you leave for..breakfast, what is your routine?" he said giving her a funny smile.  
  
She looked at him. Should have known. she told herself. But she answered the question anyways, in detail.  
  
"As if you care to know - but, I wake up, step out of bed, walk to the-." But before she could finish he interrupted.  
  
"Ya know what? Let's just pretend you don't take a shower in the morning, ok?" he told her nodding his head.  
  
She looked at him offended but still kept answering the question.  
  
"I walk to the.closet, put on my robes, check myself in the mirror, and leave." She finished.  
  
"It's not in detail like you said it should be, but that's good enough for me, I would prefer to here that without the detail anyways." She looked at him. Should have known. she told herself. But she answered the question anyways, in detail.  
  
"As if you care to know - but, I wake up, step out of bed, walk to the-." But before she could finish he interrupted.  
  
"Ya know what? Let's just pretend you don't take a shower in the morning, ok?" he told her nodding his head.  
  
She looked at him offended but still kept answering the question.  
  
"I walk to the.closet, put on my robes, check myself in the mirror, and leave." She finished.  
  
"its not in detail like you said it should be, but that's good enough for me, I would prefer to here that without the detail anyways."  
  
She smirked his way telling herself not to respond to his malevolence. He is trying to get a rise out me, just smile. she told herself, and she did. Not like a fool, just enough to keep her frown upside down. =) She almost had this plan down pat, but then Malfoy continued to speak"You do know that for a girl your age, your list is quite short. I'm just glad you don't wear makeup, otherwise I would have had to write down, 'Apply eyeliner, put on mascara, blush, then this, and that'. Terrible." He added. At this Hermione couldn't help herself.  
  
"You mean something like this?" she said as she swooshed her wrist, wand in hand, and watched as Draco's cheeks turned bright pink, and eyelashes become long and black. Soon after seeing this she was completely on the floor with laughter. Holding a clutch in her stomach. Malfoy did not find this perfectly funny in any way. He seemed to be waiting to burst with anger until she stood on her feet again. And she did, out of pure respect.  
  
"No," he started as she came to her feet to face him, "actually I meant something more like this." He said as his hand was waved in an intricate pattern and suddenly she felt her face become heavy. She saw her eyelashes become longer and darker. Her lips were glossy and she could tell by his stares and slight laughter that the rest of her face had been transformed also, more than Draco's.  
  
"Wow, Hermione, it doesn't even look like you." He said in a smile. "Probably not!" she shouted through laughter.  
  
They both shared a smile for a few moments. When their eyes met they suddenly realized what was going on. Malfoy and Granger were having fun together; they were actually enjoying each other's company. They both thought it ridiculous; this was clear when suddenly Draco cleared his throat slightly louder than he should have. 


End file.
